The invention relates to a blood container known as a cardiotomy reservoir for medical apparatus.
Medical apparatus, for example, of cardiotomies and oxygenators are well-known which include a blood container which has a filter which receives the inflowing blood. In these containers it is important that the blood flows through the filter without stagnating or coagulating to avoid reducing filtration effectiveness and lowering the physiological properties of the blood. This requirement leads to containers in which the blood can be kept at a distinctly lower level than the base of the filter, in a reservoir which readily provide a good read out scale of the free surface level and blood volume in order to facilitate the operator in his functions. In such containers the blood drops by gravity from the level of the base of the filter to the level of the underlying free surface, and this consequently causes a severe danger of formation of bubbles and microemboli and of blood cell damage.
An object of the present invention is to provide a blood container for medical apparatus in which the blood flows through the filter and descends gradually and smoothly toward the underlying free surface and outlet in such a manner as to ensure the absence of bubbles and provide assurances against any blood cell trauma.